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Is the cognitive function of older patients affected by antihypertensive treatment? Results from 54 months of the Medical Research Council's treatment trial of hypertension in older adults

^a Section of Epidemiology and General Practice, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, ^b Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, ^c Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG

Correspondence to: Dr Prince.

Abstract

Objective: To establish whether initiation of treatment with diuretic or ß blocker is associated over 54 months with change in cognitive function.
Design: A cognitive substudy, nested within a randomised, placebo controlled, single blind trial.
Setting: 226 general practices from the Medical Research Council's general practice research framework.
Subjects: A subset of 2584 subjects sequentially recruited from among the 4396 participants aged 65-74 in the trial of treatment of hypertension in older adults. The 4396 subjects were randomised to receive diuretic, ß blocker, or placebo. Subjects had mean systolic pressures of 160-209 mm Hg and mean diastolic pressures <115 mm Hg during an eight week run in.
Outcome measures: The rate of change in paired associate learning test (PALT) and trail making test part A (TMT) scores (administered at entry and at 1, 9, 21, and 54 months) over time.
Results: There was no difference in the mean learning test coefficients (rate of change of score over time) between the three treatments: diuretic -0.31 (95% confidence interval -0.23 to -0.39), ß blocker -0.33 (-0.25 to -0.41), placebo -0.30, (-0.24 to -0.36). There was also no difference in the mean trail making coefficients (rate of change in time taken to complete over time) between the three groups: diuretic -2.73 (95% confidence interval -3.57 to -1.88), ß blocker -2.08 (-3.29 to -0.87), placebo -3.01, (-3.69 to -2.32). A less conservative protocol analysis confirmed this negative finding.
Conclusion: Treating moderate hypertension in older people is unlikely to influence, for better or for worse, subsequent cognitive function.

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Effect of antihypertensive treatment on cognitive function of older patients

C D Irvine and S H Irvine
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